General News
26 May, 2025
Rage over council eviction
A MOVE to evict the Friends of Cominos House has sparked community anger and a growing petition.
After nearly 40 years of nurturing arts and activism in Cairns, the Friends of Cominos House face eviction, with Cairns Regional Council choosing not to renew their lease.
Donated by George Cominos in the late 1980s for the purpose of highlighting visual arts and environmental activism in Cairns, Cominos House has been the home to a museum, the activism of CAFNEC and dozens of community groups that use its facilities for workshops and meetings.
Since its establishment on the corner of Greenslopes St, Friends of Cominos House has been managing the building and taking care of its maintenance but, after decades of leasing with the council, they were notified in early April that they would have to vacate the property by June 30.
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said the house was being completely renovated and a public tender process would open after June 30 to determine the lease and management of the house due to “challenges in meeting the maintenance and management obligations of the lease”, bringing uncertainty to the future of Friends of Cominos House who have been managing it for decades.
“We sincerely acknowledge FOCH’s contribution over the years and the role they’ve played in supporting community access to this much-loved site,” she said.
“However, it’s clear there have been challenges in meeting the maintenance and management obligations of the lease.”
Cr Eden has insisted that community groups that use the space will continue to do so.
Friends of Cominos House president Lone White has rejected suggestions the group had failed to maintain the property.
“Back in the 80s we restored the building for $450,000, (the) council put $90,000 into that. Since then we run the place and we don’t charge the community groups much to use the space. We get just enough money to maintain and look after the building,” she said.
Committee member Di Forsyth said Ms White went to the council to check if the council could provide funds for major works and the committee would provide funds for minor works.
“I think that’s where it all started, I think they started thinking, ‘Maybe we could have that building back’,” she said.
“We’ve managed to keep money into long term deposits and spend whatever comes in on maintaining the building. All we’ve asked is for funding for major works which we can’t afford. We even applied for a grant from the gambling fund for $100,000 to fix the roof when we received the notice from (the) council.”
Ms White said the group was fighting the council’s decision and a petition – already signed by over 200 community members and groups – had been started to appeal the eviction.
“When George Cominos donated this house, he wanted it to be used for the arts and the environment and we’ve been passionate about making sure it stays that way, so it’s really important for us that CAFNEC remain in the building and that this stays as a space for community groups,” she said.
“We don’t want other groups to take this place for their own purposes, but someone else coming in means they could kick out CAFNEC.
“We’ve been asking for help funding some major works and now they’re saying they’re going to renovate the building, so what’s the plan? We’d like to see those plans because they’re talking about major renovations and this is a heritage listed building.
“We’re fighting this. The petition is for council to talk to us and hear what’s going on. In the letter they told us it was because we weren’t looking after the building. Now we’re hearing different things, that the management is the problem.”
FOCH intends tendering for the new management lease.
To sign the petition, visit
